Okay Folks - I have a dilema.

My son has just turned 8 and loves all things Star Wars (merchandise) BUT...... he has never watched any of the films all the way through despite my best efforts. However, the other night he asked me if he could try watching them again.

My dilema is this.... I think he should start with episode 4 (in my eyes the first film) but I have tried this before & he got bored quickly. Should I try again or start with episode 1 which he has also got bored of before. Or should I throw order out of the window and go for something that he's not seen before (if so which one)?

Thoughts?

in the order of release:

A New Hope

Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi

Then the newer ones (but Revenge of the Sith is PG 13)

A lot of kids like the prequels better. He may enjoy The Phantom Menace more than the original film. Try chronological if he keeps getting bored with A New Hope. You could also try the Disney XD series Star Wars: Rebels. Every episode is available on demand.

Whoops I didn't read the part where he gets bored with TPM either. The movies may just be too long for him. I certainly don't think Clones or Empire will keep his attention if he can't make it trhough the other two.

Let me say this...If your Son is bored with watching ANY of the Star Wars films at the PERFECT age of 8, then he'll never be a hard-core Fan...A lot of kids will love action figures but hate the cartoons or whatever...We all were kids when Star Wars made it to TV in the 80's..You either liked it or you didn't...You NEVER fell asleep....Your Son has so many Live-Action Super Hero options today Vs The 80's...

Chancellor said:

Let me say this...If your Son is bored with watching ANY of the Star Wars films at the PERFECT age of 8, then he'll never be a hard-core Fan...A lot of kids will love action figures but hate the cartoons or whatever...We all were kids when Star Wars made it to TV in the 80's..You either liked it or you didn't...You NEVER fell asleep....Your Son has so many Live-Action Super Hero options today Vs The 80's...

You're probably right but he hasn't tried to watch them for over a year now and has specifically asked if he can watch one. I REALLY want him to love the films as I did and so I would love him to enjoy it this time. That's why I want to get it right. I think I'm going to go with chronological as other orgers suggested and because I'm much more familiar with those. If he doesn't like them then I guess I'll have to accept that. I'll let everyone know how it goes

in my opinion:

-Star Wars (the original '77 if possible), the cinematic classic that started it all

-Empire Strikes Back (97 version), the classic dark sequel and still one of the best cliffhangers of all time

then jump to

-the prequels, episodes I , II and III (just don't expect much of I and II), btw I also recommend the Cartoon Network's Clone Wars show between episodes I and II (but stay away from the Clone Wars CGI series, like the plague); watching the prequels between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi is useful because the prequels answer all the questions raised with Empire (who's the Emperor, what was the real importance of Yoda, the secrets of Darth Vader, etc)

-Return of the Jedi (97 version), a film that makes ALL loose ends of the other five movies meet in spectacular, cathartic fashion; some say it's an average movie like the prequels, I personally think is not as good as SW/ESB but miles ahead the prequels

Chancellor said:

Let me say this...If your Son is bored with watching ANY of the Star Wars films at the PERFECT age of 8, then he'll never be a hard-core Fan...A lot of kids will love action figures but hate the cartoons or whatever...We all were kids when Star Wars made it to TV in the 80's..You either liked it or you didn't...You NEVER fell asleep....Your Son has so many Live-Action Super Hero options today Vs The 80's...

This; personally, I was surprised when I read the OP, but hey I'm not judging, not everybody is meant to LIKE Star Wars...

perhaps Hudson is right and the prequels are better suited for a kid of this generation, brighter colors, CGI, more (often ludicrous) action, etc...

There's no way that droid wasn't going straight back to the person who sent it right? And self-destruction, that's impossible. I watched Clones yesterday and aside from the unbearable dialogue and this stupid jumping out the window scene I was really delighted by it. I hope we get some planets that look like other planets in the ST like Coruscant, Kamino, Saleucami, Naboo and that planet that Ki-Adi Mundi got murdered on. Holy crap listening to those Seismic charges for the first time since I got surround sound in my home was awesome.

The best order to watch the films is 4-1-2-5-3-6 if you want to keep all the suprises. Good luck convincing someone who's never seen them to do that.

Hudson said:

The best order to watch the films is 4-1-2-5-3-6 if you want to keep all the suprises. Good luck convincing someone who's never seen them to do that.

hmm you're right this order of yours is the best when it comes to the story, you're introduced to Luke/Obi-Wan in 4, to Luke's father-young Obi-Wan in 1-2, then you witness the twist of 5, then you know why the hell it happened in 3, and then the final of everything in 6

very good order IMO

[Edited 4/21/15 13:56pm]

"We all were kids when STAR WARS made it to TV in the 80's...You either liked it or you didn't..You NEVER fell asleep".............................THIS!!!!!

Start with

kpowers said:

Start with

if anything, that AWFUL tv movie special is perfect to appreciate how SERIOUS (yet entertaining) and WORTHY the original Star Wars film was; the tv movie was just campy and silly, like, sadly, most of the 50s-60s sci-fi stuff (2001 being the exception), the 1977 movie may look a bit naif today, but NEVER silly-campy, even the cantina scene is more weird-bizarre than campy

I remember getting the Holiday Special on VHS from a record show back in the 90's. I missed the original broadcast when it aired. I rushed home with excitement to sit down and watch it...that was 2 hours of my life I will never get back. Watching the recorded 1970's commercials and news bits (between the show) was more entertaining.

I agree with Patton Oswalt:

JoeTyler said:

kpowers said:

Start with

if anything, that AWFUL tv movie special is perfect to appreciate how SERIOUS (yet entertaining) and WORTHY the original Star Wars film was; the tv movie was just campy and silly, like, sadly, most of the 50s-60s sci-fi stuff (2001 being the exception), the 1977 movie may look a bit naif today, but NEVER silly-campy, even the cantina scene is more weird-bizarre than campy

Honestly if you edit out alot of all those stupid skits with Harvey Korman, Bea Arthur and just watch the parts with the cast of Star Wars it's not bad. Also I did like the cartoon with Boba Fett in it

[Edited 4/26/15 11:47am]

Bea Arthur's "One More Round, Friend" is about the only watachable part of the whole special. She's the only one that tries in this whole abomination of a special.

Hudson said:

Bea Arthur's "One More Round, Friend" is about the only watachable part of the whole special. She's the only one that tries in this whole abomination of a special.

I like Beau Arthur and yeah she did a good job, but I just felt it does not feel like Star Wars.

Episode III. Opens with alot of action all the way through the end

UPDATE: We all sat down and watched Star Wars IV - A New Hope last night and .... (drum roll)... my son really enjoyed it. He asked a lot of questions so I think some of it was a bit above him but it's the first time he's watched the whole thing.

He kept asking how Anakin Starwalker becomes Darth Vader (he knows from books he's read) so I think I'm going to try episode 1 next and see how that goes.

Yipeeee...a happy mom

[Edited 4/25/15 23:59pm]

duccichucka said:

I agree with Patton Oswalt:

i have also heard: I, II, IV, V, II, VI

But I my wish is for Disney to re-make I, II, III

(I know I could as well as 1000s of others could hammer out a basic outline for them in a few weeks)

I read an article that suggested 4, 5, 2, 3, 6 to preserve surprises as well as continuity in different actors playing certain parts (ie Haydn C. at the end of the new version of Ep 6)

Note that they suggest skipping #1 altogether!

I haven't watched them for a while so I might try that order

duccichucka said:

I agree with Patton Oswalt:

Ah, yes, this is the same thing I was referring to. If you read the article it makes a lot of sense

http://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/

NDRU said:

duccichucka said:

I agree with Patton Oswalt:

Ah, yes, this is the same thing I was referring to. If you read the article it makes a lot of sense

http://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/

Wow...I honestly didn't realise when I started this thread that I would be totally mind-boggled by it. So we watched episode IV yesterday and I was going to do episode I next but now I'm thinking episode V then episode I but this says leave episode I out! AARRGGGHHH What to do, what to do?

Go with Oswalt et al:

In the following order, watch Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of
the Sith, and finally, Return of the Jedi. Leave Phantom Menace completely out cuz Oswalt's
right - you get a really touching narrative of how the son redeems the father with the machete
approach.

My plan is to do this right after Thanksgiving so that I'm prepared for The Force Awakens in
December.

4-1-2-5-3-6. To Joe Tyler you listen., yess hmmm.